Pavement.



PATENTE Nov. 29, 1904. c. E. PLATE.

PAVEMENT. Y APPLIOATIUH FILEU 0012.21. 1903.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1 N0 MODEL.

N0 MODEL.

` PATENTED NOV. 29, 1904. G. H. PL'I'T.

PAVEMENT.

Arrmourmn Hman 00121. 1903. v 4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

G. H. PLA'I'T.

PAVEMENT.

Arrmummm mm mmm. was. u No 110ML.

4L SHEETS-SHEET E.

iff

PATENT@ Nov, 29, 1904.

. E0 MODEL.

PATENTE) Nov. 29, 1904. c. H. PLATT. PAVEMENT.

AP"IOATIOH FILED 00T. 21. 1903.

4 SHEETS-BHEET 4.

UNITED STATES Patented November 2.9, 190% PATENT OFFICE.

PAVEMENT.

SPECIFICATION formi-ng part of Letters Patent No. 776,419, dated November 29, 1904'.

Application iled October 21, 1903. Serial No. 177,874. (No model "u all whom it may concern.; Be it known that I, CHARLES H. PLATT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Langhorne, Bucks county, Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Paveinents; and l do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, suchv as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and `use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in pavements, and in particular to pavements 'for sidewalks.

The object of my invention is to`providc a pavement having all the advantages of the usual concrete sidewalks which are laid in a plastic cond ition,.while at thel same time avoiding the disadvantages arising from such a method of construction of a sidewalk.

With these general objects in view a sidewalk embodying my invention comprises a series of parts whichiiiay be produced by factory methods of construction as contradistinguished from sidewalks which are manufactured on the ground-that is, laid in a plastic condition-the said parts embracing supporting means which may be set in place quickly in such a manner as to extendbelow the frost-line and arranged to carry pavingplates which form the wearing-surface, the

whole being so arranged and constructed that, if desired, the pavement when completed will form one homogeneous mass which will be solid and durable.

The preferred forms of my invention will nowbe described in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective View illustrating 4one form of sidewalk (in course of construction) embodying my invention; Fig. 2, a simi lar View of another embodiment of iny invention; Fig. 3, a bottom perspective view of one form of'paving-plat'e, and Fig. 4 a similar view of another form of paving-plate employed by me; Fig. 5, a sectional view through the structure shown in Fig. 1, one of the paving-plates being omitted; Fig. 6, a transverse section on the line 6 6, Fig.y 5; Fig. 7, a detail trans verse section through one end of a girder provided with a double system of reinforcing devices; Fig. 8, a detail sectional view through a post of modified construction; Fig. 9, a sectional view of a sidewalk such as is shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 10, a bottom perspective view of another forni of paving-plate employed by me; 5 5

tion through one of the ribs of said plate; 6o

Fig. 13, a detail view showing one form of tension device employed by me; Fig. 14, a view similar to Fig. 11, illustrating a modified form of the reinforcing means; Fig. 15, a detail perspective view of one of the pegs employed by me; Fig. 16, a plan view showing one method of arranging the tension device in carrying out my invention, and Fig. 17 a vdetail view of a modification.

Referring to the drawings, and in particu- 7o lar to Fig. l, A represents posts formed of any suitable material, but most advantageously of concrete, and each provided at the upper end with a fork or recess. The length of each post is such that when set in place in the ground its lower end will be below the frostline, while its upper end will extend ju'st above the surface of the ground. n

B represents `girders, also most advantageously formed of concrete and arranged to 8o be supported by the posts A, the ends of the said giiders being suitably formed so as to enter and rest in the recesses in the corresponding posts.

In the portion of sidewalk shown in Fig. 1 '8 5 the posts are arranged in sets of two, one post of each set being placed at the curb ofthe sidewalk, a portion of which curb is indicated at C, while the other post of each set is located at the property-line, each girder beingsup- 9o ported byftwo posts and extending transversely .to and substantially the full width of the sidewalk, the said girders being parallel with each other and arranged to carry pavingplates D, which each extend from one girder to the next adjacent one, thus bridging over the space between adjacent girders. Each girder is provided with means for interlocking it to the respective paving-plates which itA supports, said means consisting, preferably,

' of suitable projections engaging the respecl tive paving-plates.

In the preferred form of construction shown in Fig. 1 each girder has a pairof upper longitudinal ribs b, provided at intervals with notches b, the purpose of which ribs and notches will be more fully explained hereinafter. In addition it is provided witha lower rib or in b2, extending longitudinally along the center of its under surface, whereby' the girder is greatly strengthened.

Each paving plate D is provided on its four margins with downward-projecting side anges d, two of which side ianges extend parallel to the girders B and the other two at right angles to the girders. The two side flanges which are parallel to the girders rest in the' spaces between the ribs of the corresponding girders, while the sideiianges which are transverse to the girders extend into the corresponding notches in the ribs of said girders.

For the purpose of uniting the girders B firmly to the posts A a suitable cement only may be employed. Preferably, however, I provide each post with a hole for a dowel-pin and also provide each end of the girders with corresponding holes. When putting the pave-V ment in place, a dowel-pin t is inserted in the holes in the post, as will be clear from Fig. 6, and the projecting end of the dowel-pin enters the corresponding hole in the girder. When these dowel-pins are used, it is advisable also to supply a suitable amount of cementbetween the post and girder in order to cement them together and prevent lthe entrance of Water. Also in laying the paving-plates in place on the girder cement is used to join the girder and plates and also to join the respective plates where they meet. For the latter purpose each paving-plate has two oi' its sidesviz.,jone side parallel to the girders and one side at right angles thereto-beveled slightly, while the contiguous sides of the adjacent plates are straight, there by producing a groove into which the cement may be inserted readily after the paving-plates are laid in place, as will be clear from Fig. 5 of the drawings, while at the same time the lower edges of the plates are in close contact and prevent the cement from running out of the groove. By thus cementing together thevarious parts of the pavement I form said parts into one homogeneous mass, thus producing a sidewalk of the desired monolith construction. In order, however, to ailow for any expansion and contraction which might occur in the pavement and at the same time to permit portions of the pavement to b e taken up when necessary without injury to the remainder of the pavement, I employ asuitable elastic cementsuch, for example, as bituminous or mastic cement. By this means I obtain all the advantages of a monolith construction without its disadvantages.

In Figs. 2 and 9 I have shown a modiiied embodiment of my invention wherein the girders are dispensed with, the means for supporting the paving-plates consisting of posts only. These posts A/ differ from the parts shownin Fig. 1 in having no recesses, instead of which are provided suitable means for interlocking with the paving plates, said interlocking means comprising four projections ft, each of which engages the inside oi' the ilanges of its corresponding paving-plate, as will be clear from the drawings.

The paving-plate D, as hereinbefore described, is provided with side ianges d on all of its margins, such a plate being illustrated, for instance, in Fig. 3. For plates of larger area or where greater strength is required intermediate ribs d may be employed, as shown in Figs. 4 and 10, in the first of which the plate is illustrated as provided with one rib in each direction-viz., longiturilinally and transverselyfwhile in Fig. l0 two such ribs in each direction are employed. Moreover, to still further increase the strength of the plate-as, for example, when made of large area-the ribs may be increased in depth toward the center, as shown at d2, Fig. 10.

The intermediate ribs which extend transf versely to the girders, it is to be noted, serve not only for the purpose of strengthening the plate, but in addition perform the added Jfunetion of interlocking devices, since they engage notches formed in the ribs of the girders. A girder provided with such additional notches is shown in Fig. 5.

In order to still further add strength to the structure without increasing its weight, I provide the various parts with reinforcements of metal, and the particular means by which I obtain such metallic reinforcement at a low cost Jfor material and construction constitutes an essential feature of my invention.

Referring to Figs. 1l and l2, F represents pins inserted in the paving-plate during the process of forming said plate, the lower ends of said pins being flush with the lower edges of the side flanges and ribs, respectively, oi' said plate, one post being placed at each in-4 tersection of the ribs or of lthe ribs and side flanges. The pins F are united by tension members; consisting of wire-strands Gr, which extend lengthwise through the side langes and also through the ribs, if desired, where the latter are employed, as willbe clear from Figs. ll and 12. The wires G may also be carried in a series located substantially in a plane parallel to the surface of the pavingplate, as shown in Figs. 1l and 16, the strands crossing each other in any desired manner, so as to 'form a series of tension devices, but not twisted or bent at any point throughout their span, whereby said strands are capable oi' transmitting in a straight line to their respective posts any strain to which they may be subjected.

In order to still further increase the number of tension 'devices without increasing the number of posts, a slotted peg H, having suitable means for holding the wires-as, forexample, a hooked head la, as shown in Fig. 5 may'beused, this peg being pushed down into the plastic concrete, straddling the wires of lthe ribs or side Bauges, its hooked head serving as a point of attachment for tension-Wires intermediate those connected to the posts. IG (See. Fig. 14.) Moreover, such a peg may be used as a binder to unite several intersecting wires at their point of intersection to the concrete. Such a use of the peg is shown in said Fig. 14.

It will benoted that in a paving-plate made and reinforced in accordance with my invention the side Bauges serve as compressive members to hold the pins F at the proper distance=apart, while the pins serve as anchoring 2O devices for the wires, which act as tension devices to transmit the load to the pins, the total load being distributed to the foundations by those pins which rest upon the foundationsviz., all those pins which project flush with the lower surface of the side flanges resting on the girders or in the construction shown in Fig. 2 those pins which are at the corners of the paving-plate. Thus the side flanges are relieved ofthe downward strain to which they would otherwise be subjected, and consequently can be made lighter than would be necessary if the pins F were not employed. Moreover, the wires 4in the side anges serve to tie them to each other, so that they cannot be spread or broken outward by any strains to which they may be submitted in practice. @wing to the fact that the side ianges and metal reinforcements form a panel complete in itself, with a sheet ofvwires across its top,

the Concrete plate may be made quite thin because it is not compelled to resist any tensile strains and serves principally as a wearingsurface for the pavement, although at the same time also acting as a compression mem- ,ber to strengthen .the panel by assisting in holding theside flanges apart. Consequently a plate made in accordance with my invention is fully capable of withstanding all the shocks and strains to which it may be submitted in handling and when laid in the pavement, while at the same time being light enough to be readily handled even when plates are made 'of a size sufficient for large spans between the points of support. The girders may also be reinforced in a manner similar to that in which the ribsv of the paving-plate are reinforced, and a girder so constructed is illustrated in Fig. 5, wherein F' indicates the pins, and G' the tension-wires, the pins at the ends of the girders being located so as to come over the supports for the girders-that isl to,

I end pins extend flush with the lower bearners of the girder shearing or splitting off is.l

avoided. In this way it is possible to produce a much lighter girder for the same strength than would otherwise be possible, while at the same time the 'cost of the reinforcement is inappreciable.

To reinforce the posts, the same general system of pins and wires may be employed, a

post so constructed being shown in Fig. 8, wherein F2 indicates the pins and (ifthe wires, this system of reinforcing devices preventing the upper edges of the posts from splitting, o". By this construction it is possible to make the posts sufficiently strong for the purpose intended without making them heavy. In order to still further reduce the weight of said posts and at the same time to give them an added bearingsurface in the ground, l reduce the transverse cross-section of the posts intermediate its two ends, as shown in said Fig. 8,whereby when the soil is tamped tightly against the post the area of the support due to the ground is increased, owing to the outward flare of the upper end or head ofthe post.

`While I have thus far described the tension members as plain wires, it is sometimes of ad-` vantage to construct said tension members of a compound wire, preferably consisting of a plain wire with another wire or wires wrapped spirally around it. A portion of such a compound wire is shown, for example, in Fig. 13. By this arrangement the concrete is given a good hold on the tension member, whereby a firm connection between the concrete and wire results, while at the same time the plain wire is not weakened or injured, as it would be if intertwined with the second wire or wires.

In the arrangement shown in Fig. 17 the wire is wrapped around the pins in such a way as to run from theoutside of one pin to the inside of the next pin and is carried back in the reverse manner, so that the two strands cross each other substantially half-way between the pins. rIhis arrangement gives a good hold for the concrete,l and vhence materially strengthens the structure.

The reinforcement of the hardened plastic material by means of wires has also the important advantage that the various tension members extending from one point of anchorage to another may all constitute one continuous wire, which may be wound back and forth around the pins and built up in the plastic material intermittingly during the op- IOO IIO

in place.

eration of 'molding the same, and hence without interfering with the proper ramming'of the plastic material. Moreover, as many strands as desired may be'extended from one anchorage to another without inconvenience or delay, thus enabling the total cross-sectional area of the tension members to be varied as may be necessary to endure the strain to which each part of the structure is intended to withstand.

It is to be noted that a pavement made in accordancewith my invention may be quickly laid, requires but a small amount of excavation, is not subjected to the heaving action of the frost, and is vready for use as soon as put Furthermore, in case it becomes necessary to take up a portion of the pavement-as, for example` to lay water, gas, or sewer pipes-this can be done quickly and economically, and when the pavement is replaced no evidences of the taking up and relaying of the pavement are visible. This is an important advantage over the ordinary concrete pavement, which when partially taken up and replaced is disfigure'd by the unsightly patches in it.

A further important advantage of a sidewalk made in accordance with my invention is that it is in most cases possible to tunnel under the sidewalks to lay such sewer, gas, or water pipes without in any way disturbing or injuring the sidewalk, it being only necessary to drive the tunnel at a place intermediate the posts.

It is to be observed that in the construction shown in Fig.- l the paving-plates rest upon the girders and the girders rest upon the posts, while in the construction shown in Fig. 2 the paving-plates rest directly upon the posts. In both constructions, however, the paving-plates are supported or carried Aby the posts, and it is to be understood that when the expression paving-plates supported by the posts is employed in the claims it is intended to embrace both constructions.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-,

1. In a sidewalk, the combination, with a plurality of posts of concrete extending below the frost-line and above the ground, of detachable paving-plates supported by said posts.

2. In a sidewalk, the combination, with a paving-plate having ianged sides, of means for supporting said plates, said means being arranged to interlock with the anged sides. 3. In a sidewalk, the combination, with a paving-plate having iianged sides,of a girder arranged to support the plate and provided with projections engaging the flanged sides of said plate. L

4. In a sidewalk, the combination, with a plurality of posts, of girders supported by said posts, paving-plates supported on said said posts, each girder havng'longitudinal ribs provided with notches at intervals, and paving-plates provided with side anges, arranged to engage the longitudinal ribs of adjacent -girders and to enter the respective notches in said ribs.

7. In a sidewalk, the combination, with a plurality of posts each having a recess in its top, of girdersarranged to rest in said recesses' and each provided on its upper surface l with a pair of longitudinal ribs having notches at intervals, and paving-plates provided with side flanges, one pair of said anges resting on adjacent girders between. the respective ribs, the other pair of side iianges engaging the -respective notches in the ribs of the said girders.

8. The combination, with a plurality of posts extending below the frost-line and above the ground, of gi rders supported by said posts and detachable paving-plates carried on said girders.

9. The combination, with a plurality lof posts extending below the frost-line and above the ground, of detachable girders supported by said posts and detachablepaving-plates carried by said girders.

10. The combination, with a structure of hardened plastic material, of pins inserted therein, tension-wires connected to and ex- IOC IOS

tending between said pins, slotted pegs strad-A dling sai'd wires, and additional tension-wires connected to said pegs and extending through the hardened plastic material.

11. The combination, with a structure of hardened plastic material, of reinforcing devices extending through said hardened plastic material and comprising a plain .wire around which is coiled a second wire.

12. The combination, with la structure of -hardcned plastic material, of anchorage de IIC plastic material and connected to and, extendchorage device to the inside of the next and returning. in a reverse manner, whereby the tension members cross between the anchorage devices.

14. The'combination, with girders, means for supporting said girders, and paving-plates located on said girders and formed of hardened plastic material, of elastic cement between said plates and between the plates and girders.

15. The combination, with a plurality of paving-plates, of supporting means arranged to carry said plates and to interlock with each'- of them.

16. The combination, with a plurality of girders, and a plurality of paving-plates resting on each girder, of means for interlocking said girdersand plates, and means ,for sup.-

porting the girders.

17. The combination, with agirder and pavingplates meeting on and carried by said v paving-plate having downward projections, of supporting means for said plates, said slipporting means' being arranged to interlock with the downward projections of said plates.

20. ln a sidewalk, the combination, with a paving-plate having downward projections, of

ya girder arranged to support said plates and tointerlock with the downward projections of the plates, and means for supporting said girder. v l

21. In a sidewalk, the combination, with a plurality of posts extending below the frostline and above theground, of detachable paving-plates supported by said posts.

22. In a sidewalk, the combination, with a plurality of posts extending below the frostlineand above the ground, of girders supported by said posts,l and detachable pavingplates supported by saidgirders. 23. The combination,withagirder provided with notches, and means for supporting said girders, of plates having downward-extending ribs arranged to enter said notches.

24.. The combination, with a girder provided with notches, and means for supporting said girder, of plates provided with flanged sides.

and ribs, said flanged sides and ribs being arranged to enter said notches.

25. The combination, with girders provided with longitudinal ribs and notches, and means for supporting said girders, of plates havingv all of their sides ianged,and having downwardextending ribs, the flanged sides parallel to the girders being arranged to rest between the longitudinal ribs of the respective girders while the downward-extending ribs and the ilanged sides at right angles to the girders enter the respective notches.

downward-extending rib, in combination with plates supported by said girder.

29. A girder of hardened lplastic material 'having a downward-extending rib, in combi nation, with reinforcing means withinsaid rib, andplates supported by said girder.

.30. A girder of hardened plasticmaterial having enlarged ends and a downward-extending rib, in combination, with reinforcing means within' said rib, and plates supported by said girder.'

31. A girder of hardened plastic material having enlarged ends and a downward-'extending rib, in combination, with anchorage devices' in said enlarged ends, tension members connected to said anchorage devices and ex-v tending through the rib, and plates supported by said girder.

32. A girder of hardened plastic material having a downward-extending rib, in combination, with anchorage devices located. in the tending between said anchorage devices, and

plates supported by said girder.A

34C. ,f A post of hardened plastic material having its upper end provided with reinforcing means, in combination withplates carried by said post.

35. A post of hardened plastic material having a forked upper end and reinforcing means in said forks, in combination with a girder resting in said forked end, and plates carried by said girder.

36. A post of hardened plastic material having a forked upper end, anchorage devices extending into each fork, and tension members connecting said anchorage jdevices, in combination with a girder resting in said forked end, and plates carried by said girder.

37. A post of hardened plastic material having a forked upper end, in combination with a girder resting in said forked end, and plates carriedv byl said girder.

38. A post of hardened plastic material having its lower portion reduced in cross-section, in combination with plates carried by said post.

39. A post of hardened plastic material .hav-

reduced -in cross-section to form a shoulder ICO IIS

beneath the fork, in-combination with a girder forks of the post, and a dowelpin connecting resting in said forked end, and plates carried said post and girder, in combination with by said girder. plates carried by said girder.

40. A post of hardened plastic material, a In testimony whereof l ax my signatureto 15 5 girder arranged to be carried by said post this specification in the presence of two witand a dowel-pin oonnectilng1 said post dand nesses. A girder, in combination Wit p ates carrie by w Said grder. i (JHARLEb H. PLATT.

41. A post of hardened plastic material hav- Witnesses: IO ing a forked upper end, a girder of hardened M. C. MASSIE,

plastic material arrangedto rest between the ALBANUS S. T. JOHNSON. 

